Centrifugal casting apparatus



NOV. 29, 1927. I 1,651,288 J. MERLE 1 CENTRIFUGAL CASTING APPARATUS Filed March 27, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet l Jos MerZe Nov. 29, 1927.

J. 'MERLE CENTRIFUGAL CASTING APPARATUS Filed March 27, 1925 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 D Fig.

v Jose' Mfr/*2e main parts Patented Nov. 1927.

Y UN1TED STATES "JOS MERLE, 0F BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA..

'cnnmmrem CASTING APPARATUS.,

Applica/abn mea march 27, 1923. serial 11. 628,074.

My present invention relates to an improved process and to an automatic machine for mixing, compressing, moulding, solidifying, forging, rolling,'laminating, drawing, turning, milling, screw-cutting, etc., a liquid -or plastic raw material its main object being to provide a new method for automatically carrying into practice all or some of the above b erations in order to produce all kinds `o metallurgical and other products, suchl as tubes, sheets, rods, bars, wires, etc. which may have any form and cross-section as well as a limited predetermined length.

With these and many other objects in .view my present invention consists in the features as hereinafter 'explained and which are clearlyv set forth in theappended claimingrclauses.

he method according tomy present invention mainly consists ,in introducing the liquid or plastic raw material to be worked within a mould which is subjected` to a rotary movement on its axis and through which a fixed or rot-ary chuck is capable of a longitudinal sliding movement, said chuck acting progressively by its sliding movement fon small masses of the said liquider plastic The machine for carrying into practice the` above A-method includes the following (a) A rotary mould mounted f on rollers and provided with geared wheels or the like which allow it to revolve at variable and regulable speeds, said movement-being produced by any suitable transmission on a cone of pulleys or by direct coupling with an electric motor running at variable and regulable speeds. Said rotary mouldl is open at both ends and may consistof a single ora number of demountable parts and may also be provided with means for opening it wholly or partly so as to allow the products being manufactured therein to have a" different inner and outer periphery;

(b) A l central iixed feeding apparatus which is capable of a longitudinal sliding movfement Withinthe mould .from one end to the other thereof, said apparatus being operatedfby means of a mechanism which turns at a -speed which is related to the revolving speed of the mould or inde endent thereof. Said feeding apparatus is xed with reference'to the rotary motion of the mold and carries at one end a series of tools,which may be fixed or rotatable, said tools being designed for carrying out the opemtions as above described.

When the machine'is used for'the manufacture or Working of hollow bodies of circular cross-sectlon, said tools are preferably fixed, but when'said bodies are to be of a no ncircular cross-section, the whole of the saixd'tools are disposed in such a way as to turn together with the mould, the cross sec tion of the said tools corresponding or not with that of the mould.

In order that my present invention may be clearly understood and easily carried into practice some preferred embodiments of the same have been shown in the appended drawings Wherein- Figure 1 is a side view of one of the embodiments of the machine for carrying out he method according to my present invenlon. f

Figure 2 shows a detail of the feeding tube with therack thereon.

Figurel 3 is a section of the feeding tube the mould together with the feeding tubey and the tools carried thereby which form a chuck.

' Figure 5 is a transverse section on the line c-d of Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a` transverse section on the line e--e of Figure 4.

Figure 7 is a section equivalent to that of Figure 4 in -which the whole of the tools constituting the chuck are mounted to turn freely at the end of the feeding tube.

Figure 8 shows another similar view of another embodiment of the invention for the manufacture of solidproducts such as plates, bars and wires. v

Figures 9 and 10 are'transverse sections of the mould and chuck which show their disposition for the manufactures of prod- -ucts of diHerent cross-Sections.'A

Figure 11 is a cross-sectional view of a mould for producing bars.

Similar vcharacters of reference denote same or like parts throughout the sald fig- It must be clearly .understood that the present invention is not limited to the precise embodiments shown and described,

i to be produced.

In the embodiment shown in the 14drawings, 1 is the mould which may be of any suitable material and of a suitable section according l to the nature of the work desired. Said mould may be constructed in one or more pieces and mayvalso be provided with suitable doors or openings or d'emountable arts, so that different inner and outer erip eries may be given to the manufactured products. Said mould is .rotatably supported in any suitable wa well known in the art.` 2 and 9 are suita le supports on which the axle 5 is rotatably1 mounted, said axle carrying a cone of pu le s 3 to which the movement is transferred t irough suitable transmission means from any convenient source of power. The geared wheels 4 and 7 are mounted on the same axle 5, said wheels meshing with the geared wheels 6 and 8 which are fixed to the outer periphery of the mould, so that the rotary movement of the axle 5 is transmitted by the said geared wheels to the mould l. The above described means of transmission is only given by way of kexample, as it will be clearly understood that any other known means may be used for producing the rotary movement of the mould l. A geared wheel 10 is also carried by the axle 5, said wheel meshing with the geared wheel 11 which is mounted on the end of the axle 12 turning` in bearings on the support 9. The axle 12 carries a worm gear 13 which meshes with a worm-rack 14 suitably fixed or formed in one piece on the top of the feeding tube 15, said tube carryingat one end the tools 16. The free end of the tube 15 carries a feeding receptacle 27 in which the liquid or plastic material to be worked in the machine is oured.

Aswill be seen from* Flguree, the end of the central feeding tube l5, which is not capable of rotary movement and which by means of the rack 14 receives a longitudinal motionV within the mould 1, isl externally screwthreaded at 17 so as to receive the tool-holder device 18 which is set in positionrr by means of a set screw 19 which prevents rotation with respect to the mould. The end of the tool-holder 18 is also externally screwthreaded at 20, the tool 21 being placed on the screwthreaded end and held in position by means of the nut 22. The central bore 24 of the feedingirtube 15 ends in a i number of substantially radial branches 23 which' discharge the contents against the inner walls vof the mould within the free space left by the tool 21, and adjacent said tool there are provided the mixing blades 25 in the tool holder. 26 is a tube as formed in the mould.

- In the case of the embodiment described, the operation is as follows, and for the Lounges clearness of the description it vshall be assumed thatthe piece to be manufactured is a metallic tube.

The raw material which is poured into the l chargingv receptacle 27 is a molten metal such as steel, copper, lead, iron, etc. in the `most pure condition to be obtained from and the feeding tube together with the tools fixed thereon receive a longitudinal motion at a suitable speed. lt will be seen from the foregoing that the machine acts only on a small mass of the material introduced, said mass being in perfect y,relationship with the cross section of the final product and being subjected to the following mechanical and physical actions.

(a) An energetic and regulable lcentrifugal compression of the product in this liquid and semi-solid state which fully eliminates and expels therefrom all the gases contained towards the end of the charging receptacle.

(Z2) Before the complete cooling and by means of the mixing blades 25 a division, beating and mixing of the liquid material is obtainedbefore the solidilication thereof, the speed and temperature of the solidiiication, being regulable -immediately after such mixing. The regulation fof the speed and the tem erature of solidication is effected by regulating the speed of themachine in any suitable manner.

(e) The working by means of the tools constituting the chuck of the cooled and solidified product with continuous compression by the centrifugal force which inv creases gradually due to the diminishing section ofthe material.

Said operations are realized by the retracting movement 4of the tube 15 within the mould together with the tools 1G, which being fixed with relation to the said mould effects a drawing, rolling, laminating and forging of the inner wall of the tube, which emerges thus out .of the machine in a perfect state and finish.

lVhen it is desired to manufacture hollow bodies of sections other than the circular form, such as square or hexagonal, for instance, moulds 1 of a corresponding shape are used and in this case, as shown in Figures 7 .A 9 and 10, the tool or tools 2l have a similar configuration when the inner periphery of the piece is to correspond to the outer periphery, said tools being so mounted on the tube 15 so as be capable of rotary movement if desired. The work is in this case'elfected .by drawing out andA the compression is obtained by the centrifugal force as well as by f the diminishing free space between Jthe inner Surface of the mould and the outer surface of the chuck.

For. the manufacture of bars of any cross section, forv instance, round (35) or hexago- A nal bars (36) and profiles jsuch as T-bars, A angles, rails andthe like a mould is used mould, the tools being mounted on an end 30 of the feeding tube and held in position by thewasher 32 so that the said tools may turn freely on the endof the said tube as an axle.

Plates may be also obtained by forming tubes open along a generatrix and subjecting i them to a further lamination in the ordinary Way. Profiles of` any section maybe also vobtained-.by simply varying the section and shape of the tools.

My presentinvention as stated before is vin no way limited to the specific form of ap# paratus 'described or to the operations specified, but includes any others within the scope of the invention which has been clearly and precisely set forth in the-appended claiming clauses. It is obvious that these different operations and results will be obtained by different inner shapesof the mould and corresponding or different shapes of the tool or tools which may or may not be carried by the mould in its rotary movement.

Having' now fully described and ascertained the nature of my said invention and in what manner the same is to be carried into practice, I declare that what I claim and deportingframewfor rotating said mould and A tools on the endvof said feeding tube for` sire to protect by Letters Patent is zi 1. A casting machine comprising a supin saidframe; a feeding `tube slidably supportedi 1n said frame, one end being adapted to move longitudinally in said mould: a

charging receptacle secured at the other end of said 0feeding tube and adapted to move with said tube; means mounted on said supmoving said feeding tube longitudinally into and out of said mould; and a plurality of finishing the casting to its desired dimensions and configuration.

2. A casting machine comprising a supporting frame; a mould rotatably mounted .in said frame; a feeding rtube sIidabl supported in said frame, one end being a apted to move longitudinally in said mould; means mounted on said supporting frame for rotating said mould and moving said feeding Atube in said mould; and means on the -end of said feeding tube for finishing the casting -to its desired Adimensions and configuratlon.

l 3., A casting machine comprising a supportin frame; a mould rotatably mounted in sai frame; a feeding tube slidably supported in said frame, one end being adapted to move longitudinally in said mould; a

charging receptacle secured at the other end` of said feeding tube and adapted to move with said tube; driving means mounted on Y 4. A -casting machine comprising a mould adapted to 'be rotated; a feeding tube associated with said mould and adapted to move in said mould; means for rotating said mould and operating. ,said tube; and a plurality of tools on the end of said tube for finishing the casting to its desired dimensions and configuration.

5. A casting machine comprising a supporting frame; a mould rotatably mounted in, said frame; a feedingK tube supported in said frame and adapted to project longi tudinally into said mould; means for rotating said mould and for moving said tube into and out of said mould; and a plurality of tools on the end of said tube for finishing the Acasting to its desired dimensions and configuration. e

6. A casting machine comprising a mould i adapted to be rotated; a feeding tube assosions and configuration.

7 A casting machine comprising a rotatable mould; a feeding tube associated with said mould and adapted to move longitudinallysin said mould'while feeding the molten f metal; and a plurality of tools 'secured to said tube for finishing the surface of the casting to its desired dimensions and configuration. g

8. A centrifugal casting machine comprising a mold mounted to turn on a horizontal axis,` means for rotating said mold at va. riable'and regulable speed dependin upon the characteristics of the casting to e produced and the properties tol` be imparted thereto, means for feeding liquid metals into the mold, a tool carrying mandrel device ca.-, pable of longitudinally sliding inside the mold,` and means for actuating said mandrel at variable and regulable speed and to feed the tools. v

9. A centrifugal casting machine for metals or alloys comprising a mold, means for rotatingsaid mold at variable and regulable speed depending upon the characteristics of the casting to be produced and the properties to be imparted therein, meansfor simultaneously feeding Athe liquid met-als into the mold, a tool-carrying mandrel device capable of longitudinally sliding inside the mold, and means Jfor kactuating said mandrel at variable and regulable speed and to feed the tools.

10. A. centrifugal casting machine for metals or alloys comprising a mold mounted to turn on a horizontal axis, means for ro- Jeating said mold at Variable and regulable speed depending upon the characteristics of the casting to be produced and the properties to be imparted therein, a tool-carrying mandrel device capable of longitudinally sliding inside the mold, and means for actuating said mandrel at `variable and regulable speed.

ll. A centrifugal casting machine com` prising a feeding tube centrally disposed in the said mold and capable of longitudinally sliding Within the mold, means for actuating said feeding device at variable and regulable speed, a charging mouth at one end of said feeding device, and a discharging mouth atthe other end to which is disposed a tool carrying mandrel adapted to receive a plurality of tools for Working the casting to the finished product. A

n testimony Whereoil I affix my signature.

JOS MERLE. 

